Salt Lake City, UT: 2017 has been an apocalyptic year for retail with more than 5,000 stores slated to close. Children’s specialty retail has been among the hardest hit sectors of the retail business. Gymboree closed 350 stores on its way to bankruptcy. Children’s Place plans to close down 300 stores by 2020 as it transitions to online sales. Toys “R” Us abruptly filed for bankruptcy in September. Amid those failures, success stories are harder to come by.

That makes the Kid to Kid experience atypical, as this children’s resale franchise celebrates its 25th year in business with more than 100 U.S. stores in operation with plenty of future growth. Eight new stores opened in 2017 in Texas, Indiana, Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, and Virginia. Six stores opening in first quarter of 2018 include locations in Pasadena, Texarkana, Grand Rapids, Charleston, Kyle, and Richmond.

Kid to Kid creates a unique shopping experience in boutique-like stores filled with quality merchandise. Kid to Kid President Shauna Sloan explains that “Kid to Kid provides an in-store experience that can’t be found online. Parents can touch and feel thousands of toys, hundreds of unique items in every size, and test drive a like-new Ergo carrier that’s listed on Amazon for over $100, but priced around $55 at her local Kid to Kid.A new Mom shopping online can’t try on Gap 1969 Maternity jeans and make sure they fit before she pulls the trigger – let alone buy them for about $12.”

Parents with growing children face substantial and growing expenses. According to a recent report from the Department of Agriculture, the cost of rearing a child born in 2015 has reached $233,610. To combat those rising expenses, millennial parents are more likely than their parents to cut costs through savvy shopping choices. This trend has led to a surge in resale shopping, through outlets like Facebook Marketplace, online retailers like Thredup, and in-person boutiques like Kid to Kid. The National Association of Resale and Thrift stores estimates the resale market growth at 7% annually for the next five years. Now in their 25th year of business, Kid to Kid looks to capitalize on this trend by continuing to offer cash for outgrown children’s clothing, toys, and baby gear. Local stores then resell these pre-screened items at attractive prices. More than 90% of the product in a Kid to Kid is locally sourced. This business model is sustainable, green friendly, and best experienced in person.

“We focus on the treasure hunt at Kid to Kid,” says store manager Amy Deal. “Our shoppers want to get out of the house. They want to hunt for bargains, and they want to experience the local community vibe our store gives to them. That’s something they can’t find online.”

About Kid to Kid: Kid to Kid is a children’s resale clothing store franchise founded in 1992. Kid to Kid has bought and sold hundreds of millions of quality children’s items at their brick and mortar locations throughout the country. On November 15th, 2017, all Kid to Kid stores nationwide will hold a special event and offer 25% off their entire inventories to celebrate the Anniversary. For more information, visit kidtokid.com.

Enter by November 14th, 2017

Grab your cute kiddos, your camera, and get ready for Kid to Kid’s Costume Contest 2017! We’ll be picking a $250 winner from Facebook. We’ll also be awarding four $25 Kid to Kid gift cards to cute, clever, awesome, and spectacular costume photos! Get your costume at Kid to Kid this year and sell last year’s costume for cash or 20% more in store credit!

Facebook Contest:

1. Like the Kid to Kid national Facebook page and post a picture of your child’s costume in the comments section of our 2017 Costume Contest Facebook post. Click here to post.

2. Tell everyone you know to Like your photo in the comments! Friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors—you name it!

This Promotion is in no way sponsored or administered by Facebook. You are providing your information to Kid to Kid and not to Facebook.

Photo must be an original photo.

Participants must be located in the United States and at least 18 years of age (or legal majority in your state) to participate and submit a photo in this promotion.

Prizes left unclaimed for 30 days will be returned to company. Prizes can be given as a gift.

Kid to Kid will determine giveaway recipients in its sole and absolute discretion and reserves the right to modify and change promotion without notice.

As a participant in the promotion you will be required to privately (through direct message, email, or other secure, private means) provide your name, address, age and other personal information necessary to receive the prize, if you are selected as a prize recipient.

Each winner of a prize in a Promotion is solely responsible for any and all applicable federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes on any prize), regardless of whether the prize, in whole or in part, is used.

Each contest Participant understands to, consents to, and forfeits the right of their contest images to Kid to Kid.

Each winning Participant, by acceptance of prize, grants to Kid to Kid and each of its respective designees the right to publicize his/her name, address (city and state of residence), photograph provided in connection with the Promotion, voice, statements and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, promotional and/or trade and/or any other purpose (“Winner Information”) in any media or format now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world, in perpetuity, without limitation and without further compensation, consideration, permission or notification, unless prohibited by law. The releases hereunder are intended to apply to all claims not known or suspected to exist with the intent of waiving the effect of laws requiring the intent to release future unknown claims.

Participates must claim the prize within 30 days from their nearest U.S. Kid to Kid Store.

Entries suspicious of fraud, paid likes, like for like, and fake accounts will be disqualified.

Participants may not take actions that are negligent, injurious or reckless in pursuit of any prize offered in connection with a Promotion. Participants who do not follow this rule or who otherwise participate in a Promotion in an unsportsmanlike manner will be disqualified from the Promotion. Participants are solely responsible for any injuries or other damages that are caused from their behavior. Participants agree to indemnify, release, discharge and hold harmless the Released Parties (defined below) from and against any and all claims, liability, losses, damages or injuries of any kind with respect thereto.

FORT WAYNE, IN— September 14, 2017 — Amy Gustin is excited to open the doors of her Kid to Kid store in the community of Fort Wayne on September 14th at 4:00 p.m. All are invited to join the celebration. Stop by and check out the store, and enjoy activities for young and old.

As a Finance/Business-MBA graduate of Indiana-Purdue University (IPFW), Amy has had great success and recognition in her career as a program controller and a financial analyst. She is a hardworking forward thinker, and sees her success as stepping stones for future opportunities. “I always dreamed of putting together business plans.” said Amy Gustin. “Since I was young, I thought it would be neat to start up a business.” Now as a wife and mother of two small children, she is excited to make her dream a reality.

Amy loves the thrill of bargain shopping and is passionate about the resale industry, which makes opening her store even more exciting and rewarding. Located at 4122 Lima Rd, Ste A-1, in Fort Wayne, the store has been stocking up, buying gently-used clothing from the local community in preparation for the Grand Opening.

At the grand opening, the store’s selection will be revealed and customers will be able to shop the new and like-new recycled name brand clothing and accessories at a great price. Kid to Kid stores offer a variety of name brand children’s clothing, toys, maternity, and accessories up to 75 percent off the price of original retail price.

After grand opening day, Kid to Kid Fort Wayne will continue to pay community members for gently-used apparel and items in cash or offer 20 percent more in store credit.

For more information about the new Kid to Kid Fort Wayne store and the upcoming grand opening event, visit Kid to Kid Ft. Wayne on Facebook. For Kid to Kid franchise information, visit the Franchise Opportunity page.

About Kid to Kid
Kid to Kid is an international franchise that buys and sells gently used children’s goods and maternity wear in an upscale environment. With over 100 locations throughout the U.S. and Portugal, each Kid to Kid store provides a convenient place where families are financially and emotionally rewarded as they recycle their best items. Kid to Kid is a registered trademark of BaseCamp Franchising located in North Salt Lake, Utah. For more information about Kid to Kid, call 801-359-0071 or visit www.kidtokid.com or www.basecampfranchising.com.

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TX— (May 19, 2017) — Bryan-College Station residents Will and Sherri Sakson are thrilled to open the doors of their Kid to Kid store to the community of Bryan-College Station on Thursday, May 25th at 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public; everyone is invited to join in the excitement of prizes, tasty food, freebies, and of course a full store of name-brand Kid’s clothes, accessories, toys and equipment at up to 90% off original prices.

“For families who are cleaning out closets, we offer a safe and convenient way for them to sell their items and receive something in return,” Will Sakson explains. “For families on a budget, they can purchase gently-used items in like-new condition for a fraction of the price they would pay online, at the shopping mall or big box store.”

The Saksons also want to contribute positively to their community by partnering with local organizations. In addition to helping sellers donate the items that they are unable to sell at the store, the new Bryan-College Station Kid to Kid will partner with various schools and charities in offering sellers the opportunity to donate their payment directly to the local organization or school of their choice. The donations will be provided to the schools or charities each month, and the donors also receive a tax receipt.

Leading up to the event, Kid to Kid Bryan-College Station will be doing special giveaways and sneak peeks on their Facebook page. On May 25th, Kid to Kid, located at 910 N Earl Rudder Freeway in Bryan-College Station, will be having a Grand Opening Party that will last all weekend long featuring Princess Elsa and Spiderman, balloon animals, face painting, and hundreds of dollars’ worth of prizes.

The store has been stocking up, buying gently-used clothing from the local community. At the Grand Opening, the store’s selection will be revealed and customers will be able to shop the new and gently-used name brand clothing and accessories at a great price. Will and Sherri Sakson are particularly excited about the maternity resale section at their store. They will also have a huge selection of Texas A&M apparel for boys and girls, and one of the largest selections of hair bows and accessories in town. After the grand opening weekend, Kid to Kid Bryan-College Station will continue to pay community members for gently-used apparel and items in cash or offer 20 percent more in store credit.

For more information about the new Kid to Kid Bryan-College Station store and the upcoming grand opening event, visit Kid to Kid Bryan-College Station on Facebook or visit the store website. For Kid to Kid franchise information, visit the Franchise Opportunity page.

About Kid to Kid

Kid to Kid is an international franchise that buys and sells gently used children’s goods and maternity wear in an upscale environment. With over 100 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Portugal, each Kid to Kid store provides a convenient place where families are financially and emotionally rewarded as they recycle their best items. Kid to Kid is a registered trademark of BaseCamp Franchising located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information about Kid to Kid, call 801-359-0071 or visit www.kidtokid.com or www.basecampfranchising.com.

LITTLETON, CO— (April 14, 2017) — Colorado residents Serena and Joe Wailes are excited to open the doors of their Kid to Kid store to the community of Littleton on Thursday, April 20th at 4:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to join in on the fun by stopping by to check out the store, get good deals, freebies, and prizes.

“I love the uniqueness of stores like Kid to Kid. You never know what you are going to find on any given day” said Serena Wailes, ten year Littleton resident and store owner. “We’re also excited to become further involved in our community. We want to work to build partnerships with schools, sports teams, local causes, and organizations through sponsorships and fundraising.”

Leading up to the event, Kid to Kid Littleton will be doing a “five days of prizes” event on their Facebook page starting April 15th. On April 20th, Kid to Kid, located at 8601 W. Cross Drive in Littleton will be having a Grand Opening Party that will last all weekend long featuring, the Batman Batmobile, face painting, VIP swag bags daily to first 30 customers with purchase, and hundreds of dollars’ worth of prizes.

The store has been stocking up, buying gently-used clothing from the local community. At the grand opening, the store’s selection will be revealed and customers will be able to shop the new and gently used name brand clothing and accessories at a great price. Kid to Kid stores offer a variety of name brand children’s clothing, toys, maternity, and accessories up to 90 percent off the price of original retail price. After the grand opening weekend, Kid to Kid Littleton will continue to pay community members for gently-used apparel and items in cash or offer 20 percent more in store credit.

For more information about the new Kid to Kid Littleton store and the upcoming grand opening event, visit Kid to Kid Littleton on Facebook or visit the store website. For Kid to Kid franchise information, visit the Franchise Opportunity page.

About Kid to Kid

Kid to Kid is an international franchise that buys and sells gently used children’s goods and maternity wear in an upscale environment. With over 100 locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Portugal, each Kid to Kid store provides a convenient place where families are financially and emotionally rewarded as they recycle their best items. Kid to Kid is a registered trademark of BaseCamp Franchising located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information about Kid to Kid, call 801-359-0071 or visit www.kidtokid.com or www.basecampfranchising.com.

Emily Schramm, LeAnna Bush, and Nancy Kline lead four franchise locations in Maryland. Fashion is a competitive business, but running a Uptown Cheapskate or Kid to Kid store provides a more supportive business model.

WARM, SHADELESS, and GROWTH-FRIENDLY: the RAREST CLIMATE in FASHION

by Kate Weed

“We use this so no one can wear the same thing,” Ina said. “If they don’t check the page, they’re in trouble.”

It was a full five months before Senior Prom in Palo Alto, California, and my friend Ina was showing me a Facebook page created to prevent a fashion nightmare: the possibility of someone showing up to Prom in her exact same outfit.

Ina had selected a trumpet-shaped marine green dress and was in the process of uploading a picture of it to the group page. Staking claim in this way would keep her look original and might even allow her to corner the market on the sultry mermaid vibe in formal wear, at least for one night.

A few months before this, I found myself in a seasonal educator training for a major fitness brand. A Black Friday spent away from a retail sales floor is, in my book, no Black Friday at all, and I was eager to clock in some extra holiday hours despite having two demanding jobs already. My mind wandered a bit as the training manager went through the usual discussion of discount policy, but snapped back into attention when I heard the words “don’t shop there.” We were being instructed to use our employee discount only at our own store, and not to give any business to the neighboring location of the same company, which to everyone’s knowledge was currently doing incredible volume and “totally killing it.”

Whether it’s person-to-person, store-to-store, or company-to-company, threads of competitiveness, and even confrontation, run deep in the world of fashion. With so much of the discussion in apparel centering on outdoing the rest, it’s no wonder that worst-dressed lists, Twitter accounts devoted to bad fashion, and trend watches predicting fashion failure have so much currency. In any given year, the forecast for fashion includes throwing a lot of shade around, and it’s well-known that achieving actual growth in this industry is rare, even at the very top. In fact, for most major design labels, surviving the first ten years in business is a known rarity, and the milestone is seen as just the beginning of real work.

Enter Nancy Kline.

An East Coast native with more than three decades of experience in the retail clothing industry, Kline’s path tells a different story from the cold and competitive narrative of most prosperous fashion tales. Nancy had worked for a successful clothing company for 32 years when she decided to venture into fashion franchising and open an Uptown Cheapskate resale store. Intimately familiar with the popular upscale brands carried at Uptown Cheapskate, Kline liked the concept of bringing those major brands to people at lower costs, allowing more consumers in her community to afford higher-end labels.

Over the course of a few years, Nancy went from opening one franchise location to running four top-performing stores in Maryland, spanning both the Uptown Cheapskate concept and its children’s goods sister-store, Kid to Kid. Interestingly, Kline didn’t achieve her success through tactics of ousting competition or hampering the growth of others. Kline’s business model has instead been rooted in collaboration, mentoring and shared success. Knowing that she could push her stores’ prosperity by expanding to multiple locations, Nancy selected her daughter, Emily Schramm, and close friend, LeAnna Bush, as solid business partners. Together, the team of three toggled between roles of store manager, assistant manager, and district manager, training their staff and optimizing the processes as they became experts in resale store management. With each new store opening, they took on a greater measure of responsibility and found particular enjoyment in selecting which functions of the business they would personally head up.

“With running these stores together, we were able to decide which departments we wanted to lead,” Nancy reflects. “I had never done marketing, and I wanted to buy product and focus on the books. Emily took the lead in styling and making sure we were in tune with our customer’s needs. I don’t mind doing a lot of the things she doesn’t do, and vice versa. We work really well as a team.”

The growth fostered by allowing a partner to thrive in their unique skillset is further reflected in Kline’s impact on the neighborhoods surrounding her stores.

“We are committed to giving back to the community,” Kline observes. “To see the number of employees we have brought in means a great deal to us. We now employ 60 people between our stores. All of our current store managers started as part-time fashion consultants. We help them grow in their own roles as we have in ours.”

At this season of her career, Nancy Kline finds particular enjoyment in letting others shine. In addition to regularly sharing her strategies and tips with franchisees at other Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid locations, she has relinquished some responsibility at her own stores.

“What’s happening naturally, is that I’m ready to back off,” Kline notes. “Emily and LeAnna don’t want me to back off, but they become more of the vocal and verbal ones, and take more of a lead as time goes on. That’s how it should be. I didn’t want to be the front of the house. I’ve done that. It’s about making room for someone to grow and lead in the way you want to.”

Within the cutthroat and sometimes merciless world of fashion and retail, Kline has carved out a warmer and more nurturing way of conducting business that inspires. While I might not have been able to use my employee discount at the competitor store last holiday season, I think I’ll ask Ina if she has any interest in changing the vision of her Facebook group. Prom is still a month away, and perhaps instead of keeping other mermaids out of the water, she can help them find their fashion sea legs.

About Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate

Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate are national franchises that buy and sell gently used children’s goods and adult clothing in an upscale environment. With over 160 locations throughout the U.S., each Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate store provides a convenient place where families are financially and emotionally rewarded as they recycle their best items. Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate are registered trademarks of BaseCamp Franchising located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information about Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate, call 801-359-0071 or visit www.basecampfranchising.com.

ELKO, NV — (March 30, 2017) — Elko residents Stacy and Chris Fuchs are eager to provide their new Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate store with the community of Elko on Thursday, April 6th at 4:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to come check out the new stores, get great deals on fashion apparel, and enter to win prizes.

“We’re excited to offer this store to a community we’re highly involved in,” said Stacy Fuchs, Elko resident and store owner. “My parents raised us here in Elko and love that we’re now raising our own families here. Both our stores, Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate provide a service to families and individuals who might not be able to afford full retail price for quality items.”

Leading up to the event, Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate Elko will be doing a “five days of prizes” event on their Facebook pages: Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid starting April 1st. On April 6th, Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate, located 2072 Idaho St. in Elko will have their grand opening celebration starting at 4pm.

The celebration will feature face painting, live music with DJ chip stone and delicious treats. Come early, the first 30 customers to each store will receive a VIP Swag Bag full of goodies and freebies from local businesses. The grand opening party will have free tacos and fiiz drinks all weekend long Thursday through Saturday. Customers who RSVP on their Facebook event page for either: Kid to Kid or Uptown Cheapskate are entered to win $50 for them and a friend.

Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate has been stocking up, buying the best gently used fashion apparel from local residents. At the grand opening, the store’s selection will be revealed and customers will be able to shop new and like-new apparel for up to 70 percent off retail prices. After the grand opening, the store will continue to pay cash for gently used fashion brands or offer 20 percent or even more in store credit.

Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid are national franchises that buy and sell gently used children’s goods and adult clothing in an upscale environment. With over 160 locations throughout the U.S., each Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid store provides a convenient place where families are financially and emotionally rewarded as they recycle their best items. Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid are registered trademarks of BaseCamp Franchising located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information about Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid, call 801-359-0071 or visit www.basecampfranchising.com

With today’s economy challenging the profits of many small business owners and retail shops, BaseCamp Franchising rewards its franchisees for innovative ideas. At the BaseCamp Annual Meeting held recently in Salt Lake City, Andy and Margie Gelernter were presented with the Innovation Award. This achievement celebrates the contribution that franchisees make to bettering the system.

“With the rising costs of labor and rent, small business owners need to constantly look for ways to improve processes and decrease costs,” explains BaseCamp founder Shauna Sloan. “That’s one reason why innovation from the folks who are in their stores every day is such an important benefit of being in a franchise company.”

The Gelernters are multi-unit and multi-concept franchisees with BaseCamp, and are constantly looking for ways to improve their Georgia-based stores.

Margie Gelernter observes, “I’m always thinking of different ways to make people’s jobs a little easier and to reach the masses. Overwhelmingly, communication is key. When we opened our second store, we realized we weren’t going to be able to be in both locations all the time, so we knew we needed to have strong communication with our team and with our customers.”

BaseCamp Franchising is the parent company of Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate, sister companies focused on recycling gently used kids’ items and young adult fashions.

“Our company values state that we are better together, we are innovative, and we are fair,” explains Sloan. “When Andy and Margie Gelernter came to me with an idea to automate the physical inventory process and save money, it was carefully considered.”

After discussing it with the technical team, BaseCamp made the decision to incorporate the idea and reprogram its inventory management system, allowing each franchisee to save thousands of dollars annually. This represents significant benefit to the franchise because those savings can benefit all 150+ stores at both Kid to Kid and Uptown Cheapskate.

“Though I’m always thinking ahead, I don’t consider myself entrepreneurial at all,” notes Gelernter. “I thought about opening a resale store on my own before finding Kid to Kid, but choosing a franchise was the best decision we ever made. I have found that the structure and the system enable us and I feel that my voice is heard. We’ve made sure our own store is an environment where people feel like they can contribute.”

Recently, Kid to Kid in Bossier City, Louisiana won the national award for Kid to Kid Grand Opening of the Year. Recognized for this achievement at the company’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City, franchisee Shannon Linton drew from her experience of opening an Uptown Cheapskate store to make this kickoff a strong success.

“Having already opened an Uptown Cheapskate helped me,” Linton explained. “I learned from that experience and I had a great deal of help from others. We had our full staff there, complete with a ribbon cutting by the mayor and a big event for the community.”

The Grand Opening event also included face painting, grilled cheese sandwiches provided by a local restaurant, and appearances by Despicable Me characters to entertain guests and their families.

“The most rewarding aspect of this award is that we are in a small town,” said Linton. “I feel like we are really contributing to our community. We employ 50 people between our Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid stores. We are also contributing through the recycling and donating of the clothing that comes to our locations.”

The new Kid to Kid store in Bossier City holds almost 12,000 square feet of inventory. The store buys and sells gently used children’s goods and maternity wear, and donates items it does not sell to local charities. Said Linton, “We’re not in a really large town, but we get lots of recognition for being the go-to shopping place for kid’s items.”

Recently, Kid to Kid in Rockville, New York won the national award for Kid to Kid Store of the Year. Franchisee Leily Kiani was recognized for this achievement at the company’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City and she attributes a great deal of her success to her surrounding community of employees and customers.

“My employees work my store as if it’s their own store,” Kiani explains. “And I have to thank the customers too. We are in a fabulous area and customers want to be green, they want to recycle, and they want to sell and buy great product.”

Kiani describes the Rockville population as a mix of many cultures. With a sizable number of military and government employees, the city represents a strong international community including Spanish, German, Persian, French, and Philippino populations. Kiana decided to open a Kid to Kid in 2013 after seeing a need in her community for a better type of consignment model.

“I was introduced to the Kid to Kid franchise while I was writing a business plan to open a small consignment shop,” Kiani says. “I felt that there was a need for it to be done better in this area. I wanted to do more volume and take on more product. This was far beyond what I had ever dreamed.”

After receiving the Kid to Kid Store of the Year Award, she celebrated by going out to dinner and sharing the news with her staff back home.

Kiani notes, “I truly wish my manager had been there. 4-5 of them have been there since the beginning. They deserve this more than I do and they know their stuff!”